Manure de France

[dstepper]

With that line of thinking, alcohol is a drug, maybe we should stop watching each other when we ride.

I could care less what someone does to their body. But lets please not confuse cheating with other activities. They lied, they cheated, they broke the law, they diserve what they get.

Dean

[Schecky]

File under timely marketing....

Daily Deal Sock Guy - "Dopers Suck" Socks - AEBike.com

[gurp13]

I agree with the previous poster (and I'm too lazy to scroll back and see who said it) that said "Is it really cheating if they're all doing it?"

Professional athletes should be allowed ANY advantage that makes them better at their job. I don't know why we draw this artificial line at steroids or other performance enhancers. I don't care how many 'roids I took, I still couldn't compete with those pro riders. Does it really make what they do less impressive? It doesn't for me. I mean, they have ultra-light bikes and components but no one insists that they ride heavier bikes like the rest of us. They have special trainers that monitor their diets. Nobody says they have to eat like us. So, if they want to use drugs to be better riders, I say let them.

Who was the last cyclist that "degraded society" because he had 'roid rage? Just curious. I don't see them as degrading society. They are elite athletes. There's nothing normal about them, their lives, or the way they train. Why make some arbitrary rule about the substances they use to be better athletes?

[RidetheRAAM4]

Originally Posted by gurp13

I don't care how many 'roids I took, I still couldn't compete with those pro riders.

EXACTLY!!!

Taking any sort of substance does not magically make you a better cyclist or better football player or better anything for that matter. All it does is give you the ability to get better whether it be to help recover, prevent injury, or to get stronger. They still have to get on the bike and push themselves everyday in their training to get faster. They spend what like 8+ hours training a day? Its not like they go from couch to yellow jersey or anything. They still work and train hard so they still get my respect, even if they do use any sort of substance. It doesn't make their efforts any less.

[jcampbell]

The more you allow dope in a society, the earlier the kids will start using and that doesn't bode well for their future health. ESPN never does stories on the 20 year steroid users daily life. They seem to forget the daily trip for dialysis. And all the other gross stuff that happens with all this junk. All this stuff just really puts a hammer on your internal organs. Go look at any of the main statelite teams and look at what age most of the kids are. If it was my kid, and the team manager was making he or she dope, I would kick his ass. Look at what has happened to BMX.

Dope makes people ride like they have god given talent, and that is not what sports are all about. Sports are about the seperation of an athlete and a great athlete with god given talent. Overcoming the pain and fear of losing by doping is chicken shat.

[soul rider]

or when Houseman was suspended from downhill because THC was in his system. really unaccepatable on different levels.
1. THC is considered a "performace enhancer" by I think the goverening body for bike racing ( i don't remember which one) racing? an eating enhancer...yes!

2. he didn't puff a fatty before the race.

3. the rule only applies to downhill racing and not cross country racing

if you need to inject horse testosterone in your blood to win...good luck

[Wrecker]

I seriously considered all that has been said here...both sides, pro-allowance and con, and I thought, why not do both?

Clean Tour and Enhanced Tour....the clean tour would have to accept all the testing and crap to provide evidence that they are all clean, then enhanced can do whatever the hell they like....if they live through the tour, extra bonus points....additional ones for longevity (not having to go on dialysis for 20 yrs).

The ads for the clean tour could be anyone, while the Enhanced Tour can advertise Hospice Care, Dialysis, etc

Then I found this: in spades.: A Solution to the Tour De France Debacle

Maybe the idea can catch on

[RidetheRAAM4]

Originally Posted by Wrecker

I seriously considered all that has been said here...both sides, pro-allowance and con, and I thought, why not do both?

Clean Tour and Enhanced Tour....the clean tour would have to accept all the testing and crap to provide evidence that they are all clean, then enhanced can do whatever the hell they like....if they live through the tour, extra bonus points....additional ones for longevity (not having to go on dialysis for 20 yrs).

The ads for the clean tour could be anyone, while the Enhanced Tour can advertise Hospice Care, Dialysis, etc

Then I found this: in spades.: A Solution to the Tour De France Debacle

Maybe the idea can catch on

sabotage the dopers bikes to actually make them slower so that the clean guys can win and then everyone will think that doping actually makes you slower!

[J_Sims]

[quote=RidetheRAAM4;81942]clean guys [quote]

On the tour.................................: clap:

[gurp13]

I don't agree that more kids will use performance enhancers specifically because the pros are. The fact is, they already are and it's totally illegal. This is the same argument that people use to keep other drugs, like marijuana, illegal. It's specious and not borne out in facts. There's barely anecdotal evidence to support this claim.

Sorry, I just don't buy it.

More 'roids, more exciting sports! Better living through chemistry!

Of course, I'll stay off the dope, personally. But the pros should totally do it.

[Pilas]

The problem with allowing the doping to continue is that the health of the riders could be in jeopardy.
The European racers begin their careers at a very early age. The join the developmental squads when they are still teenagers.
I know that many team directors put a lot of preasure on these riders. The team doctors design treatments for the riders, and, usually, a 20 year old with aspirations of making it in the pro peloton, would do whatever the team director asks him to do.
I think the real culprits here are some unscrupulous doctors who make a lot of money risking the health of the riders. In many cases, they will use younger or no so talented riders as guinea pigs. They design their treatments and try them in the lesser riders, before using them with the big names.
Also, the some team directors are also guilty. They will do anything to get results and in some cases that includes encouraging riders to put some crap in their bodies, knowing that it may be ilegal and dangerous to the riders health.
Think about this, when a rider tests positive, who pays the price? Certainly not the doctor or the team director.

I'm not saying that all the riders are innocent. I'm sure that a lot of them may know the stuff the doctors are injecting in their bodies, but we need to understand where these riders come from. Many of them are uneducated kids that come from a rather modest background. They sacrifice their education to pursue a cycling career at a time where they should really be starting High School. In many cases, they simply don't know any better.
Finally, I want to believe that there are a lot of clean riders still riding the Tour. Until somebody tests positive, I'm assuming everybody else is playing by the rules.
I have been enjoying cycling and the Tour since I was a kid. I hope that something good comes out of this mess.

[boboso]

Originally Posted by g.c.

"are you over the "Tour"?"
"I think I'm over pro sports as a whole."

What say you?

Was telling the wife last night that I am so done with Tour de Manure for sure... I know they are trying to be the best of the best, but play by the rules boyz!

Even the sport I love (Hockey) has gotten out of hand with one thing or another. From ridiculous salaries, forgeting where they came from, why they started playing (stress playing), and who is looking up to them... it has gotten to the point I just get pissed when I watch.

Time to ride.

[S54MCoupe]

You would think that getting a kiss from the podium girls would be motivation enough to make these guys faster?

I know it would work for me.

[Pain Freak]

I think they should have any drugs they want to use. Let Darwinism run it's course.

Why you think they call it dope?

[boboso]

Originally Posted by Pain Freak

I think they should have any drugs they want to use. Let Darwinism run it's course.

Why you think they call it dope?

This is your brain on drugs...

[g.c.]

Interesting news blurb over on DC about the climbing times.

Drunkcyclist.com

[Bergsteiger]

All sports are run by one thing these days-MONEY.
They started out doing it for the love, and then comes the evil.
Its still fun to watch, we just have to accept reality.

[S54MCoupe]

Originally Posted by Bergsteiger

All sports are run by one thing these days-MONEY.
They started out doing it for the love, and then comes the evil.
Its still fun to watch, we just have to accept reality.

And babes.

It's all about the ladies.